Boards made predominately of wood, wood byproducts, such as presswood or particle board, or like material are used in modular shelving systems, closet-organizing systems, and like constructions. Typically, each expansive face of such a board is covered with a protective veneer. Commonly, a decorative, polymeric veneer, such as a melamine veneer, is used. Some or all of its edges may be similarly covered.
Typically, multiple holes are drilled through such a board, each hole being drilled through both of its expansive faces. Such holes are used to receive shelf-supporting hardware or other hardware. It has been known, heretofore, to use ganged drilling bits to drill multiple holes through such a board.
Alberti U.S. Pat. No. 3,918,825 discloses an apparatus comprising ganged drilling bits, which are described as useful to drill multiple holes through wooden boards, planks, and panels.
It has been known, moreover, to use ganged drilling bits to drill two or more holes into each end of such a board. Such holes are used to receive threaded fasteners or other hardware.
Drilling bits, as mentioned above, are subject to wear and breakage. Damage to their tips can occur but may be quite difficult to detect. Replacement of such bits can be time-consuming and difficult. Drilling bits tend to produce excessive dust. Moreover, drilling bits tend to wander whereby it is difficult to control hole location.
Furthermore, drilling bits tend to cause visible damage at the veneered faces of such a board at margins of the drilled holes, particularly where such bits exit, and particularly if a polymeric veneer is used. It is known to use backing boards to reduce such damage.
Such boards with multiple holes drilled therethrough have been perceived as useful principally if not exclusively in modular shelving systems, closet-organizing systems, and like constructions for closets, basements, garages, and other areas where minor flaws on the veneered faces of such boards are not bothersome.
There has been a need, to which this invention is addressed, for a better, automated system for providing holes in such a board, particularly but not exclusively for providing multiple holes through such a board.